Picture Car Glossary
greenscreen tow
What is a greenscreen tow?
Updated June 2026 · Revolution Picture Cars
Also called greenscreen driving, or poor man's process.
A greenscreen tow is a controlled studio or stage technique where a picture car is mounted on a low trailer or towed platform in front of a green screen or LED volume.
The vehicle rocks and pitches naturally as the platform is driven slowly on stage, while driving plates or VFX-generated backgrounds are composited in post-production to simulate real-world motion. Greenscreen tows give directors maximum control over actor performance, lighting, camera access, and safety making them a staple of modern action filmmaking.
Example
A car on a low trailer in front of a greenscreen lets a dialogue scene be shot with full lighting control and no road, with driving plates added later. It removes the road closure and the weather from the equation.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
A stage or backlot setup, requiring plates shot separately on the real route.
Common mistake
Shooting the greenscreen work before deciding the route. The plates have to match the geography, the light, and the time of day the scene is supposed to be in.
Related questions
- What has to be shot separately for a greenscreen tow?
- The driving plates: the real route, at the right time of day, with matching light and camera height, shot as a second unit pass so the exterior can be composited convincingly.
- What does it replace?
- A process trailer or camera car on a real road, and with it the road closure, the traffic plan, and the weather risk.
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